Solara 50 – World’s First Atmospheric Satellite

Being able not to land does not seem as such a great feature, but it would allow a drone to do many things that were very hard of impossible before: tracking hurricanes, following smugglers and pirates, migrating animals and even serve as an auxiliary GPS. Theoretically, it could do the job of satellite without actually going into space, and therefore posing a much cheaper alternative to conventional satellites.

A company called Titan Aerospace will test such drone later this year. Its name is Solara 50, for its 50-meter wingspan, and it is capable of flying at the height of 65,000 feet, which is higher than most aircrafts, and above weather that would disrupt its flight and block sunlight from powering its motors. The company will market the drone as an “atmospheric satellite.”